Off the Beaten Track: Emilio Torres-Netto

Emilio Torres-Netto and his work in the Amazon forest

Unlike other locations around the world, Brazil does have a public healthcare system; the problem for the Amazon riverside settlements is the sheer distance from the nearest city with proper ophthalmic care (12–13 hours away) as well as difficulties in organizing transport. The doctors who work in these remote locations are not specialized in eye care, and patients are often not very well educated; they may not realize why their sight is deteriorating. The project’s organizers try to get to the least accessible villages and towns at least once a year.

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